Police briefs: Argument escalates to stabbing

A Salinas woman was stabbed Monday afternoon and police are seeking the assailant.

Officers said the incident began around 12:30p.m. on Central Avenue at West Street, where the woman, 48, was driving in a Honda and began arguing with Manuel Fuentes, 48, who was on a red mountain bike headed the same direction.

The rolling argument continued until the woman got out of her car at Archer and West streets, where the fight turned physical, police said. Police said Fuentes pulled out a knife and stabbed the woman in the head, abdomen and face before riding away on his bike.

The victim was able to drive to Villa Street and police were notified. The woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

Fuentes has not been located and is described as 5-feet 5-inches tall, 130 pounds, with tattoos on his left forearm of a man and a woman.

AROMAS

Vehicle hits house, catches fire in fatality

At least one person died after a vehicle crashed into a house, rolled into a creek and caught fire late Monday, according to reports by emergency dispatchers and the California Highway Patrol.

The wreck happened around 9:45p.m. at San Juan Road near Dunbarton Road.

Around 10p.m., firefighters at the scene called for the Monterey County Coroner, but further details were not available.

Hours before the stabbing, Martinez unexpectedly arrived at his relatives' residence in the first block of Capitol Street and was allowed to spend the night.

Around 2:20a.m., Martinez stabbed the victim, who is 47 years old and not related to Martinez, at least three times in the chest and upper body, police said.

Police had warned he should be considered armed and dangerous.

The victim was stabilized at a local hospital and flown to a San Francisco Bay Area hospital. As of Monday morning, his condition was listed as serious but stable.

Martinez will be booked into Monterey County Jail and charged with attempted murder, Salinas police Cmdr. Henry Gomez said late Monday.

SALINAS

Robbing victim pistol-whipped

A 56-year-old man was robbed and pistol-whipped in Salinas on Friday night, police reported.

The man was walking on North Sanborn Road around 10p.m. when a man on foot demanded his wallet.

At the same moment, a brown 4-door vehicle pulled up and one of three men inside brandished a handgun. The assailant with the gun pistol-whipped the victim, knocking him to the ground. The others exited the vehicle and took part in robbing and beating the victim, police said, taking the victim's wallet and getting back in the car, which drove off toward East Boronda Road.

The victim was was treated at a local hospital with moderate injuries.